Matthew McConaughey Is A Bro

I set up an interview with Mathew McConaughey a while back. I didn’t really care about his new movie, or his tabloid exploits, I just thought he seemed like an interesting dude who just happened to be a mega-star new surfer and once was arrested for playing bongo drums naked—anyone who gets arrested for that is pretty cool in my book. Anyway, I forgot I set up the interview, so when he called, I was confused. Why was some guy with a thick surfer/Southern drawl named McConaughey calling me? I was confused, but figured it out in the end, sort of. So let me introduce you to my friend, Matthew BrocConaughey …—Chris Coté

Life is good. I’m driving through Malibu, I just got back from a good surf trip, my lady and I had a kid—life is good, man. Life is good.

Nice. So tell me a little bit about this new movie, Surfer, Dude.

Well, it’s Called Surfer, Dude—with a comma. Anyway, it’s about a summer in Malibu with no waves. The waves stop coming. I play a soul surfer who has to deal with a whole summer of no waves. The guy can’t leave either, you’ll see why. The whole community starts getting aggro because the waves have completely stopped. It sounds dramatic, but it’s a pretty damn funny film.

So, when did you start surfing?

I started surfing for this movie, actually. This was two years ago, and now I’m completely hooked. It might sound corny, but I’ve never had a bad time surfing. I love being out there, I love the culture, I love being outside—I just love it, man.

Do you surf with famous dudes like Pierce Brosnon and Kelly Slater?

Ha ha, not yet. Keith Malloy is my surf double for the film, so I’ve been surfing with him a lot, but my main guy is Strider Wasilewski—he’s such a good teacher and a good friend to me, man. He’s a hell of a surfer, too, he rips.

Were you a quick learner?

I was pretty frustrated at first. Shit, man, it’s a hell of a workout. I’m starting to feel more and more comfortable, though.

How will Surfer, Dude stack up to classics like Point Break and Big Wednesday—two big-budget Hollywood surf flicks?

Well, it’s not Morning Of The Earth, and it’s not Point Break either—it’s an indie film we had to finance ourselves. It’s a six-million-dollar movie, but you have to understand that all the actors worked for scale, we all lived in trailers for a few months. Shit, it’s just a surf flick about a summer with no waves—we all loved making it.

Why will we like it?

Well, it’s a damn fun movie to watch. Me, Woody [Harrelson], and Willie [Nelson] had a blast making it, it’s a good “green movie” if you know what I mean—I think you’ll laugh your ass off. Oh yeah, there are some beautiful women in the movie, too, that always helps.

Sounds like it’s right up our alley. Now, why are you starting fights on the beach?

[Laughs] Shit, man. I was just down there surfing. I’m a positive person all day, every day, and even more so when I’m surfing. I don’t really know what was going on with all that stuff—I’m just a peaceful dude who wants to surf. Plus, I’m not a good enough surfer to start trouble in the waves [laughs].